What We Think About e-Bikes

I admired the Focus e-road bike prototype at Interbike and fully expect “real” road bikes like it to be available within the next year. (In fact, the Giant E+ 1 2018 model is already available on a limited basis.)

The Focus bike, I was told, will really only employ the motor on climbs – or where the rider is putting out fewer than 250 watts (it has a 250 watt/hour battery). I’m assuming others will operate similarly, but the Giant has a motor twice that powerful, at 500 watts/hour – meaning it can produce on one charge 500 watts of power for one hour.

It seems clear that we roadies may be seeing these full e-road bikes (and maybe even the sort of “bastardized” e-bikes spec’ed out to be “sort of” road bikes) mixing in with us in the coming years.

Some road riders rue the day, while others think it’s the greatest thing since indexed shifting. We on the RBR crew have had lots of one-on-one conversations on the topic in recent months, and I thought it was a matter worthy of a more formal discussion. So I posed two questions and asked any RBR Crew members who cared to weigh in to do so:

1. Would you ever ride any type of e-bike and, if so, under what circumstances or conditions?

2. Do you see e-road bikes ever having a place in group rides of any size (or on any ride you might be doing – even with a small group of friends)?

(Of course, we’d love to hear from you, too. Feel free to Comment following this article.)

Now, before we start with our Crew’s opinions, I’ll give you another chance to read what I wrote about the role e-bikes played at this year’s Interbike show, which seemingly portends their future place in the cycling universe. Just click the slider below.

{slider This Year’s Interbike Was Dominated By E-Bikes|blue|closed}

Depending on your perspective, either the most depressing or acceptable trend this year was the utter dominance of e-bikes. In previous years, the e-bike area of the show seemed like a growing novelty, with various clunky-looking e-bikes from Asia competing for eye-share with a few from European big-name makers.

After all, e-bikes are wildly popular on both continents, as cycling, in general, encompasses all forms of transport, and sport. From commuting to work, riding to school, running errands, getting around town, moving and delivering goods to riding the road for sport and recreation, cycling is much more broad-based and an accepted part of society.

Which, of course, is exactly what e-bike makers want for the American market. Let’s not forget that Interbike is a trade show designed for cycling products makers to show their goods to bike shops, primarily, in hopes that the shops will sell their products at retail.

And bike companies worldwide see e-bikes as something of a “great hope” or potential savior for lagging bike sales, especially in the U.S. So expect to see more and different types of them into the future.

They’re Fun to Ride

Every year at the indoor portion of the show, there’s a test track on which you can take bikes for a spin. This year, the only bikes you could ride were e-bikes. But, lordy, what an array of e-bikes: there were tandems, numerous commuter and city bikes, mountain and cross bikes, near-road bikes, bikes of different types with motorized wheels (like the Copenhagen wheel, see photo), cargo bikes, and even an ice cream delivery bike. The test track was like the United Nations of e-bikes! And the riders were a decidedly smiling lot.

As I had never ridden an e-bike, I wanted to get an idea of what it was all about, so I availed myself of that U.N. test track and took a few for a motorized spin (including models by Bosch, Stromer, and a few that used the Copenhagen Wheel, and the Electron Wheel, both of which can make any bike into an e-bike).

Almost all models have typically 3 levels of “assist,” including what’s usually called “turbo,” the top level, that kicks in with just a little pressure on the pedals. Most of the bikes feature typical gearing and shifting for that specific type of bike, along with disc brakes, by and large.

I have to admit, riding those bikes was fun, just for the simple pleasure of the near-instantaneous acceleration and quick speed available. Most of them top out at anywhere from 20 to 29 mph, but in turbo mode, you can get there pretty quickly. The feeling of speed and moving through space is something I utterly enjoy about riding, so it’s no surprise e-bikes ticked that box for me.

But What’s Their Place?

But, to get this discussion back to the road cycling community, the couple of almost e-road bikes I rode (one was a real road bike with a Copenhagen wheel; the other a more streamlined e-bike set up with handlebars and a saddle to resemble a road bike) both were more difficult to handle and a bit clunkier than at least a couple of the city bikes I rode. My favorite ride of all was a very decent city bike set up with the Copenhagen wheel. It handled much better than the traditional big-framed e-bikes that could easily weigh upwards of 60 pounds. And the Copenhagen wheel has regenerative braking, which served to juice the wheel while riding.

The one true e-road bike on display at Interbike, the Focus prototype Y-Project bike I wrote about last week, was not among those available for a test.

If the Focus e-road bike hits the market as tipped sometime next year, then road riders who have – by virtue of aging or injury, etc. – reached the point of severely diminished capacity to ride a traditional road bike, there will be a legitimate choice to make for them: buy more gearing, or buy some power.

As I mentioned last week, the idea of more e-bikes on the road (especially those “mixing” with road cyclists) is a topic for debate. It’s a debate we’ll be having fairly soon in RBR Newsletter. Stay tuned for that.

{/sliders}

Sheri Rosenbaum

I test rode an e-bike a couple of years ago. Yes it was fun, but at this time I don’t think I’d invest in one.

For me cycling is about exercise and pushing myself to get stronger each season. I will never say never, but at this time I am not considering purchasing an e-bike any time soon.

However, I do understand the attraction of e-bikes and some common uses:

Commuting – for someone who has a long commute or doesn’t want to show up to the office sweaty.

Aging or injured rider – if someone is unable to keep up with their current group of friends, an e-bike will enable them to still engage in an activity that’s important to them.

Traveling with a non-cyclist or weaker cyclist – Some cycling tours offer e-bikes. This enables couples or friends of different cycling abilities to enjoy a trip together.

I’m concerned about e-bikes being allowed on trails. They can reach speeds of over 25 mph and can be dangerous on a trail with slower riders or children. Legislation will need to regulate the use of e-bikes.

Coach John Hughes

When I spoke at the International Conference on Cycling and Health in Shanghai a few years ago, the focus was on getting more Chinese to ride e-bikes because they provide a much healthier future.

These reasons apply to many countries, including the U.S.:

Get people out of cars.

Offer an enjoyable outdoor experience, which encourages people to exercise.

Lower pollution, both from the bike and fewer oil wells, refineries and transportation of gas.

Feasible for people with physical limitations, e.g., with bad joints.

Feasible for older people with less physical fitness.

Although the risk of accidents is higher, the health benefits outweigh the risk.

Provide more business for bike manufacturers and shops, which allows shops to stay in business and continue to serve traditional riders.

There are potential future problems:

Because e-bikes can go faster there may be conflicts with pedestrians, runners, etc., on bike paths. This could be solved with speed limits.

Increased competition with cars for road space. This can be addressed with infrastructure re-design.

Higher risk of accidents. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bicycle trips account for only 1% of all trips in the United States. However, bicyclists face a higher risk of crash-related injury and deaths than occupants in motor vehicles.

Higher risk of fatalities. During the past few years, no more than 17 percent of fatally injured bicyclists were wearing helmets. This could be addressed with laws requiring helmets for all cyclists, not just kids.

Increased congestion for all cyclists that could be addressed by requiring licenses.

Personally, an e-bike is part of a progressive series of bike changes for me. In ’92 I purchased a Merlin Ti bike, light and fast. A decade later I put on a MTB derailleur and a larger cassette. Then came the triple chain ring. Then came the higher stem. Then I bought a touring bike with a more relaxed frame and 32 mm tires for more stability. At some point I’ll buy an e-bike, then a trike and finally an electric trike.

Coach Dan Kehlenbach

I find the world of e-bikes very exciting. In my book, anything that gets more people out on the roads, paths, and trails will ultimately help promote cycling.

I could certainly see myself on an e-bike if (heaven forbid) I am no longer able to ride a conventional bike. Like John Hughes mentioned, people with limitations, poor fitness, riders undergoing rehab, etc., that just want to enjoy the outdoors would likely find an e-bike ideal.

I’d be interested in exploring e-bikes from a coaching perspective. Let’s say a coach is working with a group of riders and trying to explain the dynamics of an echelon or a paceline (or any other technical skill, for that matter). An e-bike might allow the coach (especially if he/she doesn’t have the same level of conditioning as the riders) to ride along with the team and concentrate on communicating with the team. This may be particularly helpful with a junior team or working with beginning riders.

When I was living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I purchased a Brompton, and it made day-to-day life so much easier in the city that wasn’t even designed for cars. Brompton now has an electric version that folds the exact same way as the conventional version. The battery pack attaches to the front carrier block and has no impact at all on handling. It will be very interesting to follow its development.

Brandon Bilyeu

At this time in my life I view e-bikes as a great opportunity for my wife and I to spend more quality time together on two wheels. An e-bike would close the fitness gap that makes extended or hilly rides together currently impossible. There are so many great rides I have always wished I could share with my wife, and e-bikes can help make them attainable. This would also reduce the guilt I feel every time I leave my wife at home for hours at a time every weekend.

I can also see e-bikes being a great training tool for bike commuters. My bike commute is sufficiently long and hilly that it is very hard to do a recovery day without taking the car instead of the bike. Swapping in an e-bike for recovery days would solve this problem.

And while hopefully still a long way off, I’m glad e-bikes will be an option to continue riding a bike when my body can no longer do all the work. And I don’t see e-bikes mixed in with regular bikes in a group ride as an issue at all. Most group rides are composed of riders of varying abilities anyway, so what’s another “fast guy” in the group. Could even be a great motor-pacing tool.

John Marsh

I will admit that I’ve come around from a much harder position to where I stand today regarding, specifically, e-road bikes, and e-bikes, in general, mixing with road bikes.

I now can see the merit of e-road bikes for a number of different circumstances (all of them previously mentioned by others): when age, physical limitations or injury makes it untenable or impossible to ride a regular road bike; in cases that would allow someone of much lesser road fitness to ride along with a spouse or group when circumstances warrant, such as on a special vacation, etc. And, while I had never really considered it, using an e-bike for commuting or coaching also has merit in certain circumstances.

In short, like so many others, I’d surely rather see an e-bike of any type on the road than yet another car.

For me, personally, the enjoyment in riding the road is tied up in the good feelings and satisfaction I get from propelling myself across the miles, hauling myself up the hills and climbs – using my own power – and in some group rides and chippy outings with buddies, getting a little competitive now and then. As long as I am able to pedal myself across those miles, up those mountains, on those multi-day tours, etc., I will do everything I can to continue to do so.

If I am able to ride fully under my own power, and I choose to use an e-bike to “help,” that is, in a word, cheating. I am not going to cheat myself, and I am not going to cheat my fellow road riders.

That notion of “cheating” by tapping an e-road bike when otherwise fully capable of riding under your own power is the only real issue I have with e-road bikes. We continue to read about masters cyclists being busted for both chemical and mechanical doping in weekend races. I don’t think it’s at all a stretch to believe that otherwise able-bodied riders will start showing up on e-road bikes (and potentially, showing off) at group rides and events we cherish (again, at least in part because we get the satisfaction of the personal achievement of powering ourselves and accomplishing ride-related, fitness and other similar goals).

If you need the assist, for whatever reason, so be it. If not, just wait for the inevitable e-road races to come, so you can “compete” with others like yourself.

Like John Hughes, I can see myself one day (hopefully, years into the future) hopping on an e-road bike to do the riding I still want to do. But pedaling will surely play a large role in maintaining the health I need to reach that ripe old age!

John Marsh is the former editor and publisher of RBR Newsletter and RoadBikeRider.com. A rider of "less than podium" talent, he brought our readers consistently useful, informative, entertaining info that helps make them better road cyclists. That's what we're all about here—always have been, always will be. Click to read John's full bio.

Reader Interactions

Comments

So, I see the field of possible comments as dividing in these two general ways:1) Those who are realistic/open, who know e-bikes are here to stay (think ‘motorized horses’ when cars first came along). By the way, I don’t believe those of us who are more hard-core will actually enjoy that person on an ebike next to us as we’ll know we’re having different experiences. But the reality is here. And 2) Those of us who are somewhat competitive and already don’t like that person going for a long ride in a way that is ‘cheating’.

I used to have a self-admitted “coffee snob” co-worker, but she didn’t mind drinking the rather average tasting coffee at our office, she simply viewed is as a different coffee “experience.” That’s how I feel about ebikes. They’re just one more way to get out of your car and aren’t inherently better or worse than any other way. Also, pedal-assist ebikes (no throttle) do provide exercise, just not quite as much as a non-ebike. Full disclosure here – as part of my job at a local bike shop in the San Francisco bay area I sell ebikes. Almost everyone who buys one has thought it through and has a very valid personal reason for their purchase.

I live in Monterey CA where they have a wonderful recreational bike trail (paved) along the ocean out to castroville (20 miles) and on in to Pebble Beach. I ride a rode bike and encounter people on e-bikes who are on their bikes enjoying the scenery and having fun. If it weren’t for their e-bike they’d be in a car. We are riding for exercise and the enjoyment and e-bikers are doing the same thing, just less exercise. But I’ll tell you they are having fun!! Sometimes I’m a little envious.

I am like several of your panel use cycling as a form of exercise. For me cycling is an exercise of (almost) last resort in that I can no longer run (football), jump (basketball), throw (baseball) or volley (tennis) due to various injuries in those sports over 65 years of an active life. So, I can see where even a cycling career might have to come to an end at some point, at least cycling as I have defined it thus far. After 15 or so years of focusing on cycling I am just now coming to the point where I am not sure I see an improvement every year in either strength, skill or stamina. So I can see how someone would want to maintain a competency level using an ebike. But I don’t think that its for me. But, its ok if it works for others.

I was on a cycling tour around New Zealand’s south island last year and one of the riders was not a serious cyclist, to say the least. She rented an e-bike from the tour company and was able to keep up with the group, where otherwise she would have had a miserable time on the hills or would have spent most of the time in the van due to her slow pace.

Two years ago I was at a bike hotel in Italy. An elderly couple from England were staying there and they had ebikes. I talked to them, and they told me they had ridden bikes all their lives and had been all over the world by bike. They were very active and adventuresome people. Riding had been their way of life. At a certain age, they began to have ailments that kept them from riding. The man had some 6 or more bikes at home, and he said he couldn’t bear to give them up, but was so sad to see them and not be able to use them. Then ebikes came along, and they tried them out. They told me that ebikes gave them back their life and they were so happy. Any skepticism I had up to then totally disappeared, when I saw how happy they were. I asked them if it was a difficult thing to handle mentally, to change from a traditional bike to an electric bike, and they said it was something to overcome, but the benefit of being back on a bike far outweighed any stigma or negativity about using a motor. I asked to take their picture because I wanted to remember them,their adventurous spirit , and their new found happiness, for the possible day that I might need an ebike in order to keep riding. I took my picture, and they rode off, to explore Italy.

I am in tune with John Hughes on this. As I approach 80 I can see myself riding an ebike. I have already started down the road with wider tires and more gears and I enjoy riding too much to give it up because I can’t climb any more. I’m now slow enough that I can no longer ride with some of the groups that I enjoyed riding with, so it won’t be long, just waiting for a lighter version.

A couple comments for John Hughes: 1. Any bike can address the first mile/last mile problem. Right now ebikes are heavier than the average conventional bike (although, this will probably change over time), so lifting a bike up and down public transit might not be feasible for some people. 2. I don’t understand what the higher risk of injuries/accidents/deaths has to do with ebikes, since this stat is about all bikes — not ebikes specifically. 3. Any bike offers convenience in an urban environment where parking is at a premium and traffic is heavy. 4. You can increase carrying capacity on any bike. You don’t need an ebike to carry more load. 5. I don’t understand how wearing a helmet makes riding an ebike safer. Or, for that matter, how making wearing a helmet mandatory for everyone makes riding an ebike safer. (For the record, I’m not against ebikes–I have too many bikes in my garage that I love to think about getting an ebike.)

Butterfield & Robinson introduced e-bikes years ago with guides exchanging charged batteries with those who rode on “turbo” all day. They now offer trips which are all e-bikes in the Dolomite mountains and other locations. Two years ago I rode with B&R in Tuscany with a group including some serious, fit cyclists (all younger of course as I will not see 70 again). One woman in her early 50s rode an e-bike and kept up with us on the climbs which were numerous every day. She typically needed three batteries but was excited to keep up with her husband who was probably the best rider among us. I see few problems other than the risks which have been detailed here. Cycling is a dangerous sport, and in my opinion the e-bike doesn’t change the risk level significantly. I am still riding my TREK OCLV from 1994 (only the frame is original) but as others have pointed out, the e-bike may keep me in the game far longer than I could have imagined.

I’ve encountered e-bike riders at high speed in bike lanes without the skill, judgment, courtesy, respect for traffic laws, or common sense that should accompany those speeds, and I don’t much like that. If one wants easy parking, high range, and green power, there are full-fledged electric motorcycles such as the Zero SR that don’t compromise bicycle/powered vehicle aspects.

So I always considered ebikes as under powered motor scooters but if they allow more people to ride then I guess its OK. Also , I would say that my experience with ebike riders is that they are unaware of bike etiquette and really do not realize how fast they are going.

The more cyclists out sharing the roads with motorists (without regard to their method of power), the better it is for all cyclists. More cyclists using the roads means that those in charge of providing and maintaining our infrastructure are nudged in the direction of accommodating the cyclists. In the big picture, this is a good thing for all of us. ~0le

When I lived in a flat area, it was easy to use my bike for everything. Now I have to climb 600 steep feet to get home from town, and I am a little old lady. Hauling several days worth of groceries just isn’t practical. I ride hills all the time – interval training, group rides, bird watching, touring – I love the effort and satisfaction of being able to climb 10,000 feet in a day. But my next bike will be a cargo type e-bike so I can get back to doing grocery shopping on 2 wheels.

I have led rides for the Denver Bicycle Touring Club, and some riders have asked, “I ride an ebike. Is that OK?”. My only reply has been, “Yes, as long as you let a non-motorized rider set the pace”. I have never had a problem with that approach. And I see an ebike in my future.

One fellow in our club who has ridden for MANY years now has an ebike. As far as I can tell, he only applies power to help him climb and stay up with the group.
There is another guy with an ebike who is totally annoying! Passing, dropping back, and doing things no rider should do. I don’t view that as an ebike problem as much as I do a RIDER problem.

These mopeds may be fun, they may “assist” the less fit, they may (or may not) help with traffic and pollution (ever see the environmental damage battery production causes?). But one thing is definite…they aren’t bicycles, when using one youre not truly cycling and the legal regulations surrounding them should be completely separate from those governing usage of a bona fide human powered bicycle.

Like many of the commenters as well as column contributors, I can see an e-bike in my future, although hopefully quite a ways out. At 68 and loving my self-propelled riding, but simultaneously trying to figure out a mysterious heart condition and living in a quite hilly area of the country (Pacifc NW), these may eventually be an answer. And I like the concept of Focus bike described in the article – assist, mildly, on the climbs, but let me do the bulk of the work.

We have good friends who like riding occasionally, but don’t push the training side much, with whom we are able to share cycling experiences when they ride their e-bikes. But man, are they heavy!

I work on a university campus and the student bike riders are uniformly ignorant of the rules and a danger to themselves and others. Even the ones on scooters with license plates think that anywhere they can go they are allowed to go. I see all the advantages mentioned above, but the possible impacts due to poor riders and on trails worry me.

When I bought my last road bike I had to decide between a conventional 2 chainring or a triple. Going into my 60s I decided on a triple. This was before compact chainrings came out. Now I turn 70 next year and the triple still gets me up any hill I climb. If I get to the point where I can’t climb in the triple, I will get an ebike. I enjoy being outside riding with others and by myself too much to give it up. I wish some of my former riding partners would get an bike so we can still ride together. I miss the camaraderie.

I agree with some of the pros the article listed, problem is a lot of people who are buying these Ebikes have none of the problems the pros list, so it seems to be that it’s a another way that a good ol Americans can not work at to make it go and thus we just keep getting less and less fit and more and more fatter. These bikes will not make one fitter because they will use the electric power as much as possible, so I can’t see how it encourages people to exercise. Carrying capacity is not increased since the Ebike relies on using panniers just as a regular bike would. I don’t really agree with these Ebikes for a healthy person. They didn’t list one con I thought of, they’re quite a bit heavier than a regular bike and thus more of a pain to carry up stairs.

So, I’ve been riding bikes hard for about 50 years, touring, commuting and hard sport distance riding. I ride every week with a good group of friends all over the north of England, whatever the weather. BUT I’ve develped osteoarthritis in my ankle, and suddenly all riding is off. And walking. I’m stuck indoors, mostly, and have lost the exercise, the joy, the company of friends, the self respect and the way of life. And along comes a devcent looking e Bike (Orbea or Focus) that offers to assist my riding so I can get out, stay with the group, breath the air again. Whatever I may have thought about eBikes before, my circumstances have changed and so has my attitude. I feel very lucky this development is happening right now, when I need it. For those implacably set against, imagine yourself at any time where an injury prevents your normal riding. What will you think then?

The e-bike does not do all the work for you. It will take some of the work but not all. One’s I’ve seen have adjustments as to how much assist you want. The fitter you get the less assist you will need. Yes, some may be fat and lazy but I believe most people would enjoy the health benefits once they get out and start getting fitter. I say bring on the e-bikes. Don’t be stuck in the past. Applaud technology and it’s advancements. 🙂 🙂 🙂

I look at them as a great training tool. I live in a hilly area where new riders should probably be able to ride a category 4 hill right off the bat. Depending on age and conditioning, that’s a tough ask. Having a system where one could slowly dial down assistance over time would be a nice.

This past spring I got a e-bike for my wife. One of the most overpriced purchases in a long time, also the best purchase in a long time. She’s older then I and we are approaching that age where slowing down is just going to happen no matter how much you ride or train. Iver the past several years biking was no longer as much fun for her because of struggling up the hills and falling way behind with me waiting for her a lot. I never complained but she hated it. Now we can once again enjoy long rides together at a pretty good speed and she returns home hot and sweaty.

For myself though, it will be years until I accept getting one. Once I get to the place where age has caught up with me I’ll consider it. At this stage of my life I would be cheating myself to have an assist.

And that’s the problem that I have with e-bikes. In the next several years I predict that most of the people that will be getting them will be doing so simply because they are too lazy to put forth effort to ride. Not because they will need one.

E-bikes are great for many purposes. I’ve been riding a bike for 60 years. Lots of pleasure riding, some racing, teaching and fitting. When health issues arose, rather than give up my favorite activity, I bought a pedal assisted e-bike. It’s 40 lbs (light for an ebike), has a 70 mile range and 20mph top speed. It allows me to ride without motor assist or the ability to keep up with younger, faster riders on group rides.

Yes, that kind of answers your next question – yes, there is a huge place for ebikes on group rides. A rider in a group needs to be a responsible rider, no matter what the conveyance i.e. ebike, hybrid, racing, etc. The only caveat i have is that an ebike rider needs to be hyper aware of pace if she/he is at the top of the group.